Who says you can't go Home?
by Akasha617
Summary: The way I see Morelli and Steph. Cupcake. Definitely not a oneshot after all...
1. Chapter 1

This just came to me so I had to write it down.

Cupcake one-shot, I hope you like!

Not a songfic, just another title inspired by Bon Jovi

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Raiting: K, T, whatever. No smut.

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

At first I thought I was dreaming. Someone was calling me in my dream. But it wouldn't go away and I finally realized it was my real phone ringing.

I was hoping the machine would pick it up as I opened one eye and squinted at the alarm clock. 2 AM. Who the hell calls at 2 AM??

Now I remembered I'd turned the answering machine off earlier that night because for once, I didn't have a psychotic stalker calling me on a regular basis. Until now.

With a grunt, I pushed myself up on one elbow and snatched the handset off the bedside table.

"What?"

"Steph, it's me."

"Morelli, it's two in the morning!"

"Yeah, I know." He said and then he chuckled.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, because he didn't sound like it was an emergency.

"Maybe. I just got home and you weren't here. Why aren't you home?"

Now I could hear he was drunk, just this side of shitfaced, actually. I sat up and leaned against the headboard.

"I _am _home, " I said simply. "You're not here." Morelli repeated.

"No, I am at my home. We broke up, remember?" Now I was getting irritated. It was one thing to get a booty call; it was a whole other thing to get called at 2 in the morning by your ex-boyfriend whom you just had the mother of all fights with the evening before.

"I didn't break up." Morelli said, and I could picture him leaning against a wall, trying to keep his balance. I sighed. The vision made me sad. I missed him already.

"I'm sorry Cupcake." He said when I didn't respond. I sighed again. I was sorry, too, but my pride didn't allow me to admit that.

I knew Morelli was drunk, but he would never say or do anything when he was drunk that he wouldn't do or say sober. So I decided to have it out, right here and now, since I was awake anyway.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked. He took a deep breath and I could hear him swallowing.

"I'm sorry for trying to tell you what to do. I have no right to. It's just that I'm scared something will happen to you and then you won't be in my life anymore."

"You have a funny way of expressing that fear." I pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." He said and sounded defeated. "Give me another chance?"  
It almost broke my heart to hear him this desperate. I knew I loved him, but lately I'd been thinking I might have to cut my losses and go on with my life.

"I don't know, Joe…" I said slowly. As much as I wasn't ready to live my life without him, I didn't want to get hurt anymore either.

"Steph, I love you." He said. I knew that he did, too. Love was never our problem. I took a deep breath.

"You say you love me, but you don't like the way I live my life."

"I do!" He protested. "I love that you're independent, that no one can tell you what to do, that you do what you think is best."

"Again, you have a funny way of showing that." I said and I could feel tears welling up. Shit.

"I booked time at the gun range for us." He said. Huh? "What for?" I asked. Joe sighed.

"I want you to become more comfortable with your gun. I want to make sure you're safe when you're out there by yourself."

"So you don't want me to quit my job?" I asked, not quite able to understand what I was hearing.

"No. Yes. I don't know. I don't want you to quit your job, it's what you're good at."

Wow, Joe thought I was good at being a bounty hunter? That was a first. And a bit too sudden. "Since when?" I challenged.

Again another sigh from Joe. "I love working with you on cases. I love your sixth sense about things. I guess I realized that I can't keep you in a bubble, protected from all the bad guys. I tried that, but you kept popping the bubble."

I had to smile at the visual. Morelli was definitely a funny drunk.

"But I also realized there's something I can do about it." He continued. Oh boy, here it comes, I thought.

"I can train you. I can make you feel comfortable with a gun. And we can go to the gym together and work out." I grimaced at the thought of going to a gym, although I knew I had to go.

Little by little, Morelli was breaking down my defenses.

"What about Ranger?" I asked. Along with my job, Morelli hated the way I interacted with Ranger.

"He's a good guy." Joe said, almost whispering. "And?" I prodded.

"And I can't help it if I'm jealous, but I trust you, Cupcake. He keeps you safe when I can't be there. And he's good as what he does."

I couldn't remember ever having such an honest conversation with Morelli. But I didn't want him drunk every time I wanted to talk to him.

"I went out with the guys tonight," Joe interrupted my thoughts. As if I couldn't have guessed that one. "And we were sitting there and I looked around and I figured this is what my life would be like without you, you know? Then I felt real sorry for myself and I thought maybe I'd be better off without you, you know? Then I thought about that and felt even sadder and then I thought maybe you can change so that I can be with you, you know? But then I thought that's the last thing I want, Steph." He finally took a breath, "I don't want you to change. Ever. Not for me, not for your parents, not for anyone else. I love you because you are you, not because you can be something I thought I wanted."

Did he really just say that? More importantly, did he mean that? "That's the alcohol talking, " I said, "I'm sure you'll change your mind in the morning." It hurt me to say that but I willed myself to be strong.

"I booked time at the gun range and signed us up for a gym membership before I started drinking," Joe said, "But yeah, the big breakthrough came when I'd had a few. I finally allowed myself to be honest with myself, Steph."

"You mean…"

"I mean the whole time, I was trying to be what everyone expected me to be. I drew the line at whoring and gambling, but other than that, I was trying to be the perfect Burg husband."

He got that right. Complete with a row house and a Burg wife that preferably doesn't have a job.

"It's not what I want, Cupcake." Joe said.

"What do you want, Joe?" I asked.

"I want you. I want you the way you are. If you were different, I wouldn't want you. And I want to be me, not something my mother thinks I should be." Now Joe sounded a lot like me. We'd both grown up in the Burg, and I know how hard it was to break the mold. Heck, I'd been trying for years and my mother hadn't accepted it yet.

"You mean all that?" I asked, "You won't wake up tomorrow, sober and thinking you were too drunk to think straight?"

"No, Cupcake, I think I'm finally thinking straight for the first time in forever."

Okay, I told myself. This was easy. One more day wouldn't hurt. If he still thought the same in the morning and we could have this conversation with both of us sober, I'd be willing to give it a shot. Truth be told, I couldn't picture my life without Joe either. I thought I couldn't be what he wanted me to be and that he loved the idea of what I could be, not who I was.

"Okay," I finally said.

"Okay?" Joe almost screamed.

"We'll talk about it in the morning. If you still feel the same way, I'm willing to give it a try."

"You mean that?" Joe asked.

"I mean that." I confirmed.

Suddenly I heard a noise in the hallway outside of my apartment and I froze. A bang on my front door followed.

"Joe, I think there's someone outside my apartment."

"Yeah," Morelli said. "I hit your door when I tried to jump. It felt like a jump moment. Now I can't feel my legs…"

A/N: Please let me know what you think. I was trying to capture the way I think Morelli feels about Steph.


	2. Chapter 2

OK, I know I said this was going to be a one-shot. But then the idea wouldn't leave me alone and, yeah, so I admit it, I needed a break from my current _other_ fanfic that is kicking my ass…

So here it is, chapter 2…I hope you like.

Thank you so very much for your feedback. So many of you asked me to continue this so I am giving it a try.

This story was inspired by a dear friend of mine, chapter 1 was based on her 'You know what Joe should do?' You know who you are, chica!

Disclaimer: My story, JE's characters, I own nothing

Rating: T, well PG13

Spoilers: None

Who Says You Can't Go Home

Chapter 2

"_Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and  
as a matter of fact  
There's only one place left I wanna go" _

_Bon Jovi "Who says you can't go home"_

"Yeah," Morelli said. "I hit your door when I tried to jump. It felt like a jump moment. Now I can't feel my legs…"

I dropped the handset and scrambled out of bed. I was at the front door in a matter of seconds and yanked it open.

Sure enough, there was Morelli, lying on the floor. He had a goofy grin on his face and was trying to look up my pajama pants.

I was going for a 'What the hell' look, but when I saw him, I had to laugh. He was dressed in blue jeans, a light blue t-shirt and a gray flannel shirt. He looked about ten hours past a five o'clock shadow, his legs were folded under him in what looked like an uncomfortable position, and yet he was grinning.

"You came!" He said, "Hi." And his grin got wider.

"Hi" I said, still smiling, and tried to lift him up with my hands under his arms. He wouldn't budge.

"Can you get up?" I asked. I still wasn't sure he hadn't hurt himself when he landed.

"Why don't you come down?" He asked and his eyes turned the color of molten chocolate when he focused his puppy look on me. I don't know if he does it on purpose or if it comes naturally, but this look can melt icebergs, I swear. He tried to grab my hand and pull me down to the floor.

"Because it's the middle of the night and you're in the hallway." I said, taking a step back. I put my fists on my hips and tried the exasperated look this time.

"Oh." Morelli said and looked around as if noticing for the first time where he was. "How did I get here?"

I rolled my eyes. "You got drunk and came here, I just hope you didn't drive." I said. Morelli's forehead scrunched up in a frown while he was trying to get up off the floor. "I don't remember driving…" He mumbled. After a few tries, he succeeded and stood up, smiling at me proudly. "Ta-daaa!" He exclaimed.

Again I had to laugh, he was just too funny. I knew he knew what he was saying and probably he would be embarrassed about it in the morning.

"Come on in before you wake up all the neighbors." I stage-whispered and pulled him into my apartment by his shirttail.

"I knew it!" He said, "You can't keep your hands off me!"

Again I rolled my eyes, but I didn't let go of him until I'd given him a little push to land on my couch in the living room.

"Are you gonna pass out?" I asked him. How, not what, he answered would determine if I'd go straight back to bed or stay up and talk to him. He shook his head no. "I'm finally where I'm supposed to be, I can't waste any time on sleep."

That brought another smile from me. I didn't know whether he meant he was supposed to be here, on my couch, or realizing that he had to change his life, but that's not what made me smile. He had slightly slurred the words and he was the most adorable drunk I could imagine.

He didn't seem minutes from passing out, he just seemed to be in the 'I'll say whatever is on my mind' phase of drunkenness. And I decided to take advantage of that.

"I'm gonna get some water. Want one, too?" I asked.

"I'd rather have a beer. Do you have a beer, Cupcake?"

God, I really wanted a beer, too. But I had a feeling Morelli had already had enough, and I needed my head clear for this as well.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea." I said and went to the kitchen to get us both a bottle of water.

When I got back to the living room, Morelli had remoted the TV on and was watching ESPN.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" I asked him. He looked up and his eyes followed me as I sat down. "Time for bed?" He asked and his eyebrows did a little dance. "You always think it's time for bed." I replied and handed him his water.

"True," He admitted and put his arm around me. I wriggled free and scooted over to the far end of the couch, folding my legs under me. He looked disappointed for a beat, then he smiled again.

"You let me in." He said. Morelli is a lot like a little boy when he is drunk. He can enjoy the simplest things. He was so handsome at this moment, and so genuine; I didn't know how I could ever think life without him would be easier.

"Did you really mean what you said?" I asked and took a sip from my water. Oh, how much better beer would be.

Joe nodded. "Every word." He locked eyes with me. "And I know that you think it's because I'm drunk. And I think it's sad that I had to be drunk to finally see the truth." He shook his head slowly.

"I love you, Stephanie." He said and reached out for my hand. I let him take my hand and hold on to it, tears in my eyes. "I love you too, Joe." I said. The smile was back on his face.

"And I'm gonna make it right this time, Cupcake. I'll be there for you!"  
"You already are." I said, but he shook his head. "I wanna be _there _for you, you know?"

It was 3 o'clock. I was dead tired. Morelli was drunk. I wasn't going to find out if the really meant it until he was sober.

I got up, grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over Morelli. "Get some sleep," I said, "We'll talk in the morning."

"Okay," He said and slumped to his side. I chuckled all the way back to my bed.

When I woke up, I was draped in warm Morelli and the sheets. I turned to face Morelli; he was still fast asleep and smiling. I took my time studying his face. As much as I had tried to deny it, I was deeply in love with this man. He was as much a part of me as I was of him.

I ran my fingers over his face and traced the outline of his jaw, his mouth, his eyes. When he was relaxed like this, he looked about ten years younger, almost like the boy he was when we first…maybe there was some truth to the saying that you never forget your first. I've had other men since Morelli and yet, for whatever reason, he kept coming back into my life. And neither of us ever had another serious relationship. Did that make us meant for another? Probably only one way to find out, I figured, give it a try.

He finally stirred and opened his eyes. I could see the confusion momentarily until he settled his eyes on me. "Morning," He said, his voice husky.

"How come you're in my bed?" I asked, making no attempt to get out of his embrace. He shrugged.

"You said to get some sleep. It's impossible to sleep on your couch." He said and lowered his head to give me a kiss. Just a friendly good morning kiss, no tongue.

"How are you feeling?" I asked and Joe sighed. "Right now? Right here with you in my arms? Like a million bucks." He laughed and pulled me closer.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please. I mean, how's your head after drinking all night?"

"Oh that," He said, laughing, "It'll feel better after a shower and some Advil."

"Good," I said, "Go get your shower and some Advil while I'll make coffee. Then we'll talk."

I said and tried to pull away from him.

"I know something we can do without getting out of bed." He said and his hands started moving on my belly. Oh boy.

A/N: So now do you think it's more complete, whole? Or is there a need for more?


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you guys so very much for all your reviews. You have no idea what they mean to me!

This story wouldn't be possible without my dear friend from Jersey who always has the best ideas.

Disclaimer: My story, JE's characters, I own nothing

Rating: PG13 maybe? No smut.

Spoilers: None

Who Says You Can't Go Home

Chapter 2

"_I spent 20 years trying to get out of this place  
I was lookin' for something I couldn't replace  
I was runnin' away from the only thing I've ever known  
And like a blind dog without a bone  
I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone"_

_Bon Jovi – 'Who Says you Can't Go Home'_

"I know something we can do without getting out of bed." He said and his hands started moving over my belly. Oh boy.

When his fingers reached my breast, a shot of electricity went through me and I had forgotten why I'd ever broken up with Morelli.

Sex with Morelli was out of this world. Not that I was an expert or anything, but he could always make me sing the hallelujah chorus, no matter how tired I was, no matter how drunk he was.

His fingers moved south and I was on fire. When I half turned to be able to look at him, he was smiling, but it wasn't a smirk or a 'gotcha' smile, it was a happy smile. And I suspected pretty much the mirror image of my smile.

"I love you Steph." He whispered before he closed my mouth with his and started a bone melting kiss. Lots of tongue, the right pressure…I was a goner.

We lay together afterwards, trying to catch our breath. I was still recovering from a hurricane-force orgasm and my guess was Morelli would need some time to gather himself, too.

I knew that it didn't prove anything. No matter what was going on, sex with Morelli had always been great. Sometimes we fought before, usually afterwards, but sex itself was never the issue.

So I knew we loved each other and we had amazing sex. That pretty much summed up why we had been on and off and on again so many times over the last few years.

If Morelli would repeat today what he had told me last night, I thought we'd have a shot at a _real_ relationship. You know, the kind that consists of more than just earth-shattering sex and vows of love. Companionship, respect, friendship, that kind of thing. Call me old-fashioned, or call me progressive, that's what I want in a relationship.

When my heart rate had slowed down to a normal pace, I pulled away from Morelli and got out of bed. I needed the distance between us so that he couldn't just kiss me senseless when he didn't want to answer.

I took a quick shower and dressed in jeans and a tank top before I went back to the bed to wake Morelli. He was still fast asleep and for a moment I thought it was almost a sin to destroy this beautiful picture. He was smiling in his sleep and that made his face look years younger. Not that he normally looked old, but most days, he had fine lines around his eyes from too much stress and too little sleep.

But I was too impatient to wait much longer, I had to talk to him. I tickled his earlobe and jumped back when he tried to catch me.

"Go get a shower, coffee will be ready when you are." I said very loudly and waited for his response. He opened one eye.

"I have a better idea, why don't you come back to bed?" He said, his voice muffled by the pillow. A very tempting offer. Actually, neither of us would probably have a problem with staying in bed all day. I sighed and tried to get back to the resolute state I was at the night before. No! I told myself, talk first, sex later. Yeesh!

"Go take a shower!" I ordered on my way out of the bedroom. I had to walk away because a second more of the look in Morelli's eyes and I would have been back in his arms. Damn those Italian looks!

"We have to talk." I said when I placed Morelli's coffee in front of him at the dining table and took a seat across from him. He picked up his cup and eyed me over the rim.

"I thought you would say that," He grinned. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and focused on the list I had written for myself while I had waited for him.

"Did you drive here?" I didn't know why that would make a difference; I just wanted to know in general. Morelli shook his head no; I could almost see the wheels in his head turning. "I think Eddie gave me a lift…he was gonna take me home…then I changed my mind…nope, definitely didn't drive here." He seemed relieved himself.

"Okay…" I said. Now for the hard part. "Why did you call me last night?"  
"I know what you're thinking," He said, putting his cup down, "You think I was drunk. Well, okay, I was, but even before I got home, I knew you wouldn't be there."

I took a sip of coffee and motioned for Morelli to continue.

He ran a hand through his damp hair and took a deep breath. "So I'm in the car with Eddie and I realize he'd take me to an empty house. And that just sent me over the edge."

"Over the edge?" I asked. I couldn't remember Morelli ever using that term before.

He looked uncomfortable. We didn't usually share our feelings, unless we were in bed, and that was another kind of feelings. Morelli knew I loved him, and I knew he loved me. We were two parts of a whole. In bed. Now we had to work on becoming a whole in all other parts of our relationship.

Morelli lowered his eyes and focused on his hands playing with the coffee mug. Normally, I would just let it go, but this was too important.

I'd left his house the day before, convinced I wouldn't come back. Ever. As hard as it might be, I'd promised myself, I would no longer have him give me ultimatums and tell me how to live my life.

"Yeah," Morelli said, "I told you I had that whole conversation with myself at the bar…" He shook his head, smiling sadly at the memory.

"I've never really thought about it. I guess I was afraid of what I'd come up with. But last night, I did. And the thought of living even a day of my life without you seemed unbearable."

I raised my eyebrows. 'Over the edge'? 'Unbearable'? Who was this guy that was wearing Morelli's face?

Joe snorted and waved his hand at me. "I know, I know. Big words, right? Well, I don't know how else to say it. I knew you had left and I wanted you back. But this time, I want you back for the right reason. Because you want to stay. Cupcake, I'm gonna do this right, and I'm gonna prove it to you."

Now I was intrigued. Prove it to me? This should be interesting. "How?" I asked cautiously. I hadn't told Morelli, but this was pretty much the last chance I was willing to give us. I was too old and too tired to play this game any longer.

"Today is my day off. What are you working on?" He asked.

"I have a couple FTA's I was gonna visit today…" I said slowly, glancing at the pile of folders I had picked up at the office the day before.

"Okay," Morelli said, "Can I ride shotgun?"  
I almost choked on my coffee. "What?" I asked, my voice shrill and too loud.

"Yeah, can I come along? Do you need any help?"

"You want to ride along help me catch skips?" I asked, just to make sure I'd heard him right.

"Yup." He said and grinned, folding his arms across his chest. "Today. Tomorrow evening, we have a date at the gun range."

When I didn't respond, Joe frowned. "You thought I was making it up, didn't you?"

"No!" I said quickly, "I just didn't expect you to…" To what, actually? To mean it, probably. The night before, Morelli had sounded too good to be true.

"You don't want my help?" Joe asked, and somehow managed to look like a high school senior who'd just had his prom date cancel on him and a poor puppy in a shelter at the same time.

"I do." I said honestly. "It's just so…sudden, I guess. Do you mean it? Do you want to come along? I always need help." Okay, I hadn't meant to admit that last part, but it was the truth.

"I mean it." Joe confirmed. "I want today be the first day of the rest of our lives."

I rolled my eyes. I really don't do displays of emotions well.

A/N: Of course now the question is, does Steph take Joe up on it? And does he really mean it? What do YOU think?


	4. Chapter 4

Not a songfic, just another title inspired by Bon Jovi

Hope you feel better, Becky!

This fic is based on, and inspired by my friend from the other side.

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Raiting: K, T, whatever. No smut. The f-word though…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

4

'_I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold  
I've been there, done that, I ain't lookin' back  
The seeds I've sown, saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone...'_

_Bon Jovi "Who says you can't go home"_

"I mean it." Joe confirmed. "I want today be the first day of the rest of our lives." I rolled my eyes. I really don't do displays of emotions well.

Joe did a palms-up. "Look, I understand you're skeptical. I mean it though, let me prove it to you."

Well, I _had_ decided to give him a chance…and it was true, one more day wouldn't matter. If I saw any change in our relationship, if I saw he was trying, I could give it another day. As long as I was careful not to slip back into our old pattern.

"Okay," I said and picked up the stack of files. "First up is Lucy Klein. Beat up another soccer mom at her son's game." I scanned over the information. Lucy didn't look like much of a threat, not like someone I couldn't handle on my own.

I looked up to see Joe's reaction. He was listening and his cop face was in place, the one that showed no emotion.

"Does it mention any weapons?" He asked. He was actually going to do this! I read over the file again. "No," I said, "It sounds like the other woman didn't really have to press charges, there were just a few bruises and scratches." I saw Morelli's eyes glaze over and sighed. Men!

"Get your mind out of the gutter, it wasn't a cat fight! Lucy pushed the other woman into a hedge!"

"Oh," Morelli said, "Bummer." I smiled. He was so predictable sometimes.

"So if she isn't armed, there's no need to bring your gun, right?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. Morelli knew I had a license to carry a gun, but not to hide it in my purse. That was called carrying concealed and other than the cops and a few chosen individuals, no one had a license for that. Morelli hated it when I carried concealed because it forced him to turn a blind eye. After all, he was a cop and I was breaking the law. Since I was very reluctant to use my gun for actual shooting, I mostly kept it in my cookie jar. I just didn't like guns.

"No need," I agreed, "But I'll still bring my cuffs and my stun gun." Morelli nodded. Round one had gone without a fight.

I rinsed my cup and got my jacket and my shoulder bag; Morelli was already good to go. He always kept a change of clothes at my house in case he stayed over.

"Do you want to drive?" He asked when we had gotten downstairs. Yeah, right, like I was going to believe that. No way was he being serious. He was trying though, I had to give him that.

"Why don't you drive and I give the directions?" I asked and headed for his truck. I was just as good a driver as Morelli, but I never turned down the opportunity to be chauffeured around. Also, his cars didn't usually blow up, so in a way, I was prolonging my car's life if we were only seen in his.

"Let's hit McDonald's first though, I need a good breakfast to get me started." I said. Morelli smiled and started the car. This was one big difference between Morelli and Ranger. Ranger would have given me a look and a reminder that McD's was going to kill me. Morelli was probably already thinking about his order.

This might not be such a bad idea, I thought as were on our way. If the women didn't cooperate, I could send Morelli to charm them into following. If the men were reluctant to come along, I could have Morelli wave his badge. Then again, the whole idea was for me to show Morelli I could do my job, so probably it was best to get him involved as little as possible. Me and my damned independence!

We pulled into the drive-thru lane at McDonald's and Morelli placed our order. I wanted to make a snarky remark about how he'd made a decision for me, but unfortunately, he'd ordered exactly what I wanted. The man knew me too well.

Armed with our breakfast, we took off for Ames Street to find Lucy. She lived in a cookie-cutter middle class neighborhood of single storied ranches. The colors varied, but it was still easy to see one house was like the other. I counted off the houses until we found 405 and asked Morelli to wait in the car.

"I thought I was helping you?" He said. "Of course you are. I'll tell you when I need help." I said, rummaging through my bag.

"What are you looking for?"

"My cuffs."

Morelli sighed and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a pair of cuffs. "Try not to lose them." He said and handed them to me. I leaned over and kissed him quickly.

"Wish me luck!" I said and got out of the car.

I knew he was watching me, so I tried to put extra confidence in my step as I approached the front door. I knocked and took a step back, plastering a friendly smile onto my face.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Lucy who answered the door, it was her husband. Or I assumed it was her husband since he looked like he was in his 40's and was dressed in a white wifebeater and blue shorts. He had apparently forgotten to shave for a couple days and his greasy brown hair clung to his scalp.

"Whaddaya want?" He greeted me, and even through the screen door, I could smell his 100 proof breath. I kept my smile though.

"Hi, my name is Stephanie Plum. I'm looking for Lucy?"

"I know who you are!" He slurred. "Get the fuck off my property!"

So much for the easy capture, I thought. "Mr. Klein, your wife didn't keep her court date the other day and we'd like her to reschedule."

Only first-time offenders usually fell for that line, but it was worth a try. Instead of replying, Klein reached behind him and before I knew it, I heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being loaded. Lucy's bond was $3000, and $300 wasn't worth getting shot for, whether my rent was due or not.

I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I could back to the car. I heard the screen door screech open and the racket, then a shot was fired.

I reached the car completely out of breath and when I looked over my shoulder, I could see Klein huffing over the front lawn.

"Go, go, GOOOOO!" I yelled and jumped into the passenger side. Morelli jumped away from the curb and sped down Ames.

"What the hell happened?" Morelli yelled. I was still trying to catch my breath, so I ignored him for the time being.

Morelli took a left and pulled over. He swiveled in his seat to face me. "Stephanie, what the hell happened?"  
"She didn't want to come with," I said sarcastically.

"Christ!" Morelli said and banged his head on the steering wheel. "Are you okay?" He asked after a beat.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't her anyway, it was her husband. I'll just stalk the place out first, I'll come back when he's not there."

I looked up when Morelli didn't reply. One look at him and I knew he was having an inner debate. It would be so easy for him to say 'You see???? That's exactly why I want you to quit your job!' and we both knew it.

In a way, I was happy it had turned out this way. This was the true test: How would he react?

I could see a muscle in his jaw move; he was clearly fighting for control. "Is this a typical day for you?" He finally asked. He knew exactly how often things like this happened to me. Reverse psychology, I got it.

I shrugged. "Not typical, but not out of the ordinary either." It was the truth. I had gotten used to it a little bit, although I still hated getting shot at.

Morelli shook his head. "And you like it?" He asked.

I shrugged again. "I don't have to wear pantyhose."

Morelli looked heavenwards and took a deep breath. "I better stock up on my Maalox." He said and put the car in gear. My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. Was that it? Was he really not going to make a bigger deal out of this?

I had to give him credit, he was really trying.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek, smiling.

A/N: OK, what do you think? More?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Raiting: K, T, whatever. No smut. The f-word though…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

5

"I went as far as I could, I tried to find a new face  
There isn't one of these lines that I would erase  
I left a million mile of memories on that road  
And every step I take I know that I'm not alone  
You take the home from the boy, but not the boy from his home"

Bon Jovi "Who says you can't go home"

I leaned over and kissed his cheek, smiling. "Are _you_ okay?" I asked.

"I'm trying to be. Getting there." He replied honestly. I cupped his face in my hands and locked eyes with him.

"My job is a part of my life. Not the biggest part, but a very important one. I may or may not do it for the rest of my working life, but for now, it's part of who I am."

This was as close to sharing my feelings as I could get. I needed Morelli to know the deal, so to say.

He nodded and lifted me onto his lap. "I know. And if it wasn't for this job, you would have never come back into my life." He said softly, nuzzling my neck.

I never knew that's how Morelli felt. It was true, if I hadn't started at Vinnie's bonds office, I wouldn't have been the bounty hunter designated to haul Morelli's ass back into jail. Well, okay, designated wasn't really true. I had blackmailed Vinnie into giving me the case when I heard how much it was worth. Ten big ones. And only after that, I had learned it was Morelli whom I was after.

I hadn't talked to him in ten years before that. So, yeah, he was right. If it wasn't for my job that he had wanted me to quit up until yesterday, we wouldn't be here today.

"So you're happy I'm a bounty hunter?" I asked teasingly. He smiled. "Guess I walked right into that one, huh??"

I nodded and kissed him lightly.

Before we tackled my next skip, we detoured over Morelli's house to walk and feed Bob. Bob is Morelli's dog and sort of a golden retriever. Big, hairy, orange monster would describe him better, but the vet keep insisting he's at least half golden retriever. Since Morelli hadn't been home the night before, Bob was overjoyed to see us both. I let Bob out into the back yard to do his business while Morelli filled his bowl. We'd gotten lucky, Bob had only partially destroyed a pair of sneakers, he hadn't chewed up the furniture out of boredom yet.

"Ready for the next one?" I asked, picking up my bag and heading out the door towards the truck parked in front of the house when Bob had tinkled and eaten and was settling down for his late-morning nap.

Morelli huffed out an exasperated breath. "I guess," He said and passed me to open the passenger door for me.

I have to say; I was positively surprised by his attitude. I guess I had wanted to believe him more than I actually believed him, I had thought it was mostly drunk talk. But Morelli was proving me wrong. Little by little. I caught myself wishing it would work this time.

I dug into my bag and brought out the stack of folders. I had four FTA's altogether. They weren't worth much individually, but if I caught them all, I'd get a total of $3000, and that would mean my rent and the bills were paid and I'd have money to go shopping.

I took Lucy's file and sorted it to the bottom, then I opened the next one.

"Carlton Folini," I read out loud, "DUI and public nudity and defecation." Or, as I would call it, driving drunk and stripping before taking a piss. "Great." Morelli said sarcastically. This would be fun!

"Where to?" Morelli asked. "Lansdowne Avenue." I read off the file. Morelli nodded and put the car in gear. He knew where he was going, Lansdowne was just west of the Burg where we had both grown up, and about two miles from Morelli's house.

We pulled up in front of Folini's row house in the middle of the block. This was the part of Trenton that could have once belonged to the Burg, but now it was just a step above the projects. Folini's house was red fake brick and two of the windows were boarded up.

"Looks cozy," Morelli remarked, "Want me to leave the engine running again?" I thought about it for a minute, but then I shook my head no. What were the chances of two crazies on one day? "It's okay, you can see the front door from here. I'll let you know if I need help." I said and got out of the car.

I had been right. Folini wasn't happy to see me, but after I promised him to call Vinnie and have him meet us at the station, he agreed to come with me.

Morelli got out of the truck as we approached. "You didn't cuff him?" He asked. I shrugged. "No need. Carlton here is not gonna cause any trouble, are you, Carlton?" I looked at Folini.

Folini looked at Morelli and shook his head anxiously. We loaded him into the truck and took off for the station.

On the way, I called the office and asked Vinnie to meet us there, like I had promised. Once we had deposited Folini and I'd gotten my body receipt, I met Morelli in the holding area.

He shook his head, smiling. "I don't know how you do it, Cupcake."

"What?" I asked. I really had no idea what he meant that time.

"I don't know what I thought your regular day would be like, but I had no idea you…" He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair as if searching for the right words. "You seem to know what you're doing."

"Can you say that with a little less surprise?" I asked as I grimaced. That was a back-handed compliment if I ever heard one.

Morelli took my hand and pulled me close to him. "Sorry. I didn't mean it that way, it's just that…I was always so scared for you." He tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "I think today I finally got it. You can handle yourself out there." He inclined his head towards the door. "You were getting shot at and didn't even flinch!" I had a snarky remark on the tip of my tongue, but the smart Stephanie told me to shut up and take a compliment when it was offered.

I put my head on his chest and hugged him. When I looked up, Morelli was smiling. "So you no longer want me to quit my job?" I asked. He snorted. "That's an unfair question, Cupcake. I guess I'll always be scared for you." He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"That's why we're going to the gun range tomorrow. And that's why we're staring self-defense lessons the day after."

I took a step back. "Self-defense? You said we were going to the gym!"

Morelli pulled me back. "We are," He said, "I'll be on the treadmill while you learn how to kick the mean boys in the shin."

When he put it that way, it almost sounded like fun. And he did have a point, I needed some training. I would never enjoy running, the way Ranger does it for miles and miles, but I hated the way I was out of breath after less than a block. And more than once, a nifty Jean Claude Van Damme-move would have gotten me out of tricky situations. "Okay," I agreed, "Do we get to shower together afterwards?" I said that last part on purpose, I knew exactly what kind of reaction I'd get from Morelli. I wasn't disappointed.  
His smile widened and his eyes turned the color of milk chocolate. "What do you say we walk Bob for lunch, Cupcake?" He said and took my hand, pulling me with him out the door. I knew that was Morelli-speak for 'Let's have a nooner', and I actually didn't mind. If the look in Morelli's eyes had been any indication, Bob would have to hold it for a while longer.

I felt pretty accomplished with one FTA already back in the system, so I decided I deserved a nice break.

We hadn't reached the car yet when Morelli pulled me closer and kissed me. The kiss told me I'd been right about the nooner, it was hungry and passionate. His hands started wandering and if it wasn't for the catcalls emerging from an arriving police cruiser, we might have been arrested for sex in public.

Joe broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against mine. "You know what?" He asked, his voice husky. "What?" I asked, playing along.

"I think we may have some time before Bob really needs to walk."

A/N: Thank you so very much for your reviews. They are the reason this is already chapter 5. Now that we covered the FTA's Steph is happy, right?


	6. Chapter 6

This story started out as a one-shot and now it's up to six chapters, per your request.

Thank you so much for your kind reviews, you made this happen.

This fic is based on and inspired by la bambina

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Raiting: K, T, whatever. No smut. The f-word though…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

6

"Who says you can't go home?  
There's only one place they call me one of their own  
Just a hometown boy, born a rolling-stone, who says you can't go home"

Bon Jovi "Who says you can't go home" 

"I think we may have some time before Bob really needs to walk." Joe said. I knew it!

After that kiss, I couldn't wait to get Morelli's clothes off either.

Morelli broke pretty much all traffic laws, he flew home to Slater. It was a good thing riding with a cop in his car, because even if there were patrols around, they all new his car and wouldn't pull him over. I'd have to remember to have him pick me up the next time I was late for dinner at my parents', I thought.

We were at Morelli's house in record time, and Bob was kind of surprised to see us again. He gave us a half-hearted welcome and turned back to his bed. Morelli threw his keys on the kitchen counter and pulled me towards him. He kissed me, with lots of tongue and lots of wandering hands and we never even made it upstairs. His hands were under my shirt and my bra came undone as if by magic.

He nudged me into the living room, never breaking the kiss. I fell backwards onto the couch and pulled his shirt free out of his jeans. Within a minute, there was not a stitch of fabric left on either of us.

We were lying on the couch, catching our breath; Morelli was running his fingers through my hair. "Now that's what I call a lunch break." He said and smiled. He had a point. Only I was still hungry, this time for food.

"We could just stay here…" Morelli suggested when he got up. I sighed. That sounded nice. "I'd love to," I said, "But I have more work to do."

Morelli searched in the big pile for his clothes and turned to go upstairs. "I'll take a shower. Care to join me?" He asked, his eyebrows dancing. That man's libido was insatiable! I waved him off and went into the kitchen. I needed food before anything else.

I made myself a peanut butter and olive sandwich and shared it with Bob. Morelli came back downstairs in a fresh shirt and helped himself to a bag of chips.

"Do you want to come along for more?" I asked him. Since I didn't have my car with me, he would have at lest give me a ride to my apartment.

"Sure," He said, "It's fun!" I shook my head and grabbed a soda out of the fridge. "Fun is not what I would call it," I said, "So far today, I've gotten shot at, but I haven't rolled on the ground or torn my jeans yet. So on the regular-day scale today is a 5. But I still have some FTA's left." I knew from experience that it could have been worse so far, but the day wasn't over.

Morelli nodded, munching on his chips. "Okay, I'm in. But we're splitting the reward, right?"

I looked up from the file I was studying to protest, and Morelli winked at me. "Gotcha!" He said and his face spit into a boyish grin. I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my own smile.

"So, who's next?" he asked, pushing himself off the counter and peeking over my shoulder. "Pedro Martinez," He read off the file, "The Mets must not pay so well." He chuckled.

I turned my head to face him. "Huh?"

"Never mind," Joe said, "Guy joke. What's he wanted for?"

"Assault with a deadly weapon…he got drunk at O'Reilly's pub and when the bar tender refused to serve him more, he pulled out his knife." I looked at Martinez' picture, "He looks creepy." I remarked. Martinez was clearly Latino, with long black hair and dark eyes, his skin a little lighter than Ranger's. He was 47 according to the file and he looked it. But there was something in his eyes that I didn't like, although I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

"Guess he's next." I said half-heartedly and finished my soda. "Let's go," Joe agreed and balled his empty chips bag up, "But if he picks up a ball and aims, duck." He said and smirked. I had no idea what he was talking about, probably another guy joke.

Morelli was in a fine mood when we got back to the car. Nothing like a nooner to put the spring in a guy's step I figured. Well actually, it had put me in a pretty good mood, too.

"Martinez lives off Comstock, we may need your Kojak light," I said to Morelli when we buckled in.

I was only half-kidding, I thought his strobe light could really help us, but Morelli just gave me a look. "It's my day off." He said and I rolled my eyes. "Killjoy." I teased him.

When we got to Comstock I instinctively crouched down in my seat. I really didn't want to be seen. There were still gangs on Comstock, and a gang member may remember me from a while back. That could start a chain reaction that I'd rather avoid. I didn't see anyone, and technically we weren't on the 'risky' blocks yet, but I wasn't driving, so I could hide.

Morelli turned onto Lyman Street and I told him the house number. Martinez lived in a three-story red brick apartment building. Three concrete steps led up to the front door and sat flush with the sidewalk. Windblown trash was everywhere and no one had bothered with brightening the place up with plants or flowers.

I sighed and looked at the file to memorize Martinez' face and his apartment number. Morelli looked up at the building through the windshield.

"Want me to come with?" He asked. Here was the thing; I really did want him to come along. But my pride wouldn't let me. What if he'd never shut up about how I needed his help to do my job?

"No, I got it. I'll call you if I need help." I said and armed myself with pepper spray, my cell phone and Morelli's cuffs.

I could tell that Morelli really wanted to come along and I knew I was being stupid, but I had to do this. I left the car and took the steps up. Martinez lived on the second floor, and the building had no elevator.

When I entered the first floor hallway, I almost gagged at the stench that hit me. Garbage bags were piled in front of every apartment door, most were closed, but some had spilled open. The result was a tear-inducing smell of decay. I fought back the urge to gag and climbed the stairs.

Before I rang the bell, I made sure my stun gun was on and the cuffs were easy to grab. There was no answer to the first two times I rang the bell, but I was sure I heard movement behind the door, so I tried again.

"Go away!" I finally heard out of Martinez' apartment. Now I had two choices. I could give him my bounty hunter spiel through the closed door and practically guarantee he wouldn't open. Or I could go with a fib.

"Delivery for Mr. Martinez," I said, and I sounded quite convincing to myself. Sure enough, the door opened a crack and I wedged my foot through it before Martinez had even said "What the fuck?"

"I represent Vincent Plum Bail Bonds and you're in violation of your bond agreement. I have authorization to…" I didn't get any further, because Martinez yanked the door open and stormed out of the apartment and straight into me. He bent at the waist, lowered his head, and pushed. I flew backwards and had the time to think 'Shit' before my fall was broken softly.

Martinez ran past me and down the stairs, with me screaming after him. I took a look around to find out what had stopped my fall, and this time, I couldn't avoid gagging.

I had landed in a pile of garbage bags that had spilled open upon impact, its contents clinging to me. I had noodles in my hair and pasta sauce on my shirt. I chose not to identify the rest of the crap.

It took me a while to get back to my feet because I kept slipping on slimy garbage, but I finally managed and trundled downstairs. I knew Martinez was long gone so I was in no rush. I had almost made it to the front door when Morelli barreled in and we collided in the hall. I was knocked onto my ass for the second time in five minutes.

"Fuck!" Morelli exclaimed. I was too busy trying to get back to my feet to look at him. Now I glanced over and started laughing. When we collided, I had shared all the slime and gunk with Morelli, we both looked like we had bathed in goo.

"Eh, just a day in the life of Stephanie Plum." I said and smiled at him.

TBC

A/N: Do you think Morelli has had enough of experiencing Steph's job live and in color??


	7. Chapter 7

This story started out as a one-shot and now it's up to six chapters, per your request.

Thank you so much for your kind reviews, you made this happen.

This fic is based on and inspired by la bambina

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Rating: K, T, whatever. No smut. Bad language…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

6

'_I've been there, done that, I ain't looking back  
It's been a long, long road  
Feels like I've never left, that's how the story goes'  
Bon Jovi "Who says you can't go home"_

"Eh, just a day in the life of Stephanie Plum." I said and smiled at him. Morelli didn't return my smile. He was glaring at a big stain right in the middle of his light blue t-shirt. It looked like mustard. I hoped it was mustard. "This is disgusting," he said and looked up. When he saw me just as dirty, still smiling at him, he finally broke into a grin. "Now I know where you get it. I only ever saw you coming home all slimed up."

At least he'd kept his sense of humor.

"Why did you come in?" I asked when I'd gotten up and brushed the worst off the gunk off of me. "I saw your skip high-tailing it out of here so I thought I'd check." Morelli said.

"You didn't run after him?" I asked, my eyebrows meeting my hairline. "Thought about it," Morelli said, "But by the time I was out of my car he had disappeared around some corner. This isn't the neighborhood to go chasing after FTA's on foot, you know," He explained. If it had been me waiting outside, I would have run after Martinez without thinking about the neighborhood. Mental head slap. Morelli had a point.

"What now?" Morelli asked. I walked over to him and picked some lettuce off his shoulder. "Now I do research to find out where he might have run to." I told him and kissed him lightly on the lips. We must have been quite a gross sight.

"We get to shower first, right?" Morelli asked and I almost broke into laughter again when I saw the look on his face. Then I decided to make him squirm. "No time, we already took two showers today. We need to go to the station and run a search on their computers." I was quite proud I was able to keep a straight face.

"Station? What sta…Oh no, no, no, I can't go like this! I'll never hear the end of it if the guys see me!" Morelli was flailing his arms. He looked so funny, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

I raised my eyebrows and lowered my head. It took him a while to realize I was quiet. Slowly, Morelli's confusion was replaced with a big smile. "Okay, Cupcake, I get it," He said and pulled me closer; "I'll talk to the guys. I'm sorry they always give you such a hard time." Wow, I thought, he was good. And I liked the new and improved Morelli more and more.

I snuggled up to him. "Let's take our third shower first, and then I gotta make some phone calls," I said.

I wondered how much Morelli was enjoying his day off. Probably he wasn't enjoying rolling in garbage, but the frequent pit stops at his house had put a grin on his face that looked a lot like my 'I got laid good' grin. I'm sure the shower we took together had something to do with it. Among other things, we had even managed to clean off all the gunk from Martinez' house. Afterwards, Joe declared he needed a nap and I had reluctantly set up shop in the spare bedroom that was Joe's office and made my phone calls.

I wanted a nap, too, but I needed rent money more. Also, Martinez was now on my shit list, I had to find him. Maybe Ranger knew him or knew somebody who knew somebody who did? Ranger was much more comfortable on Stark and Comstock, he could easily slip into the role of ghetto Ranger.

I dialed his cell phone first and got his voice mail. I left him a message to call me back, then I called his pager and punched in Morelli's number. When he hadn't called back after 15 minutes, I called RangeMan.

"Santos here." Lester said. "Hey Lester, it's Steph," I said. I was sure he already knew that from the caller ID, but it was polite. "Do you know where Ranger is?" I asked him.

"He's in Miami, visiting with Julie," Lester said, "Didn't he tell you?" Um, didn't he? I tried to remember. He did say something about being out of town but I couldn't remember the date. It must have been this week. Mental head slap. "Do you know when he'll be back?" I asked. "Day after tomorrow," Lester said. I thanked him and hung up.

So much for Ranger, I thought. I'd have to remember to call him in two days. More importantly, I had to find another source for information on Ramirez. I needed Joe. As much as I had vowed to not ask him for help, he would be able to speed the search up. I had planned to let him have his nap, but I was too antsy to get started. I walked over to the bedroom were Joe had stretched out on top of the covers, fully clothed. He looked peaceful, handsome, and sexy as hell.

"Joe?" I said softly while I ruffled his hair gently. "Hmmm," Was the response I got. "Joe, wake up," I tried again. "Mmmmh," He said this time. I started kissing his nose, his chin, his eyelids. A smile spread over his face, but he didn't open his eyes. Who can nap like that, I wondered.

Morelli's arms came up and he tried to pull me towards him. I tried to stand my ground, mostly because I knew that once he had me in bed, I wouldn't care much about my skips any more. "Joe, I need you to get up." I said louder this time. Finally, his eyes opened. "What is it?" He asked. I sighed. "A bomb could have gone off next to you and you would have slept through it!" I teased and hit him with a pillow. Morelli wasn't as awake as I thought though, he shot up and looked around frantically. "There's a bomb??" He asked and I had to laugh.

"No, there's no bomb. I need your help and you were asleep." I said. He fell back onto the bed with a sigh. "Don't wake me like that ever again, Cupcake," He said and lifted his hand to take mine, "That only used to be funny before I got to know you."

I glared at him. "Remember, you're still on probation," I told him. He sat up and fully opened his eyes. "What do you mean, probation?" He asked and pulled me towards him so we were both sitting.

"You asked me to give you another chance," I explained, "This is it. We'll see how it goes. Probation."

Morelli started nuzzling my neck and his arm snaked around my waist. "What if I violate my probation?" He asked, and I could feel him smile against my skin.

"Life without Stephanie," I simply said. I hadn't planned on sharing that part, it was out before I knew what I was saying. Morelli lifted his head and tried to look at me, but I didn't turn my head, so he scooted around me until we were sitting side by side. "Are you serious?" He finally asked.

"Yes," No. Maybe. I didn't know. Shit. I took a shaky breath and cut my eyes to Morelli. He was wearing his blank cop face and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay," He said, "I guess that's fair. Last night, I thought I had lost you for good," He was staring straight ahead at the wall, "it was the scariest thought." I took his hand in mine. He looked so…lost. "It must have seemed to you like…I don't know," Morelli said and traced the lines on my hand with his index finger, "Because I haven't told you how happy you made me. Thank you for giving me another chance." He lifted his chocolate brown eyes to mine and I was completely choked up. Tears were welling in my eyes, all I could do was nod. Morelli let go of my hand and put his arm around me. "And if it is probation, then I hope the reward for good behavior is 25 to life _with_ Stephanie!" He said and kissed my cheek. He leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. I was glad I hadn't told him probation was only this one day. I ran my hand down the side of his face and smiled, trying to decide if this was a good time to tell him he'd been doing great so far…

TBC

A/N: What do you think, should Steph give him a status update and be completely open with him?


	8. Chapter 8

You're reviews are what's keeping this going, thank you so much for your feedback!

This chapter is mostly talk, I apologize for that, I just felt it needed to be said.

I know I'm taking this further and further, but it's still based on and inspired by the best virtual friend I ever had

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Rating: K, T, whatever. No smut. Bad language…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

8

"_It doesn't matter where you are, doesn't matter where you go  
If it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road  
Take it in, take it with you when you go, who says you can't go home"_

_Bon Jovi 'Who says you can't go home'_

I ran my hand down the side of his face and smiled, trying to decide if this was a good time to tell him he'd been doing great so far. On some level, I knew it wasn't fair to only give him one day to sort of prove himself. But we've been on this up-and-down roller coaster for so long, I didn't want to give him the chance to break my heart if it didn't work out.

But if I told him, he might turn back into Old Morelli after this day and his 'parole', I didn't want to risk that either. I've known him as long as I can remember, and as much as I loved him, I didn't actually think he could change. I accepted him as he was, for the most part, and all I really asked was that he'd do the same for me.

I took a deep breath. Lucy and Martinez would have to wait. Morelli and I needed to talk. Now I'm the first person to avoid a conversation that involves sharing feelings, but this once, I was going to start one.

Morelli pulled his head back a little so he could look into my eyes. "How am I doing so far?" He asked and smiled. I sighed. "So far, you're wonderful," I said truthfully, "But I'm afraid it's too good to be true."

He took my hands in both of his and looked at them as he drew circles with his thumb. "I told you, last night changed me," he said. "I can understand your caution, you weren't in my head when I had this…this epiphany." He withdrew one of his hands and gestured with it. "I'm not saying I understand it yet either. But I realized you were the most important thing, person, in my life. And I didn't want to lose you because I tried to be someone I wasn't."

This was the part I was most curious about. How much of what he had told me on the phone the night before had just been drunken stupor? "Tell me about the epiphany part again," I said, "It was a bit confusing last night…"

Morelli chuckled. "Probably 'cause I was drunk as a skunk…" He said, "Although, that might have been a good thing. I don't know if I would have had the guts to call you sober…"

Morelli fell back onto the bed and pulled me with him, so that my head was resting on his chest. He started playing with my hair as he talked. "Eddie called, after you left. I had already started to drown my sorrows…" He began and chuckled again. "It didn't work so well. So when Eddie suggested going out with the boys, I was all for it."

Morelli hardly if ever turned down a guys' night. It was the perfect way for cops to unwind. They could talk about shit that bothered them during the day without holding back, because they didn't have to keep details from the other cops. And then there was the beer, of course.

"We played some pool, had some drinks, talked, had some drinks…you know how it is," Morelli said. His hand had slid from my hair down to my neck and his fingers were currently outlining the shape of my ear. I had some trouble concentrating on what he was saying because he had magic fingers.

"We ended up in this dive on Stark, no idea what the name was, I didn't care. Had more drinks," Morelli took a deep breath, "And then it hit me. Out of the blue. I'm sitting there, nursing my drink and started thinking. About me. About you. About us."

I looked up at his face when he didn't say anything for a minute after that. He was staring at the ceiling and absently running his thumb over my jaw.

"And what were you thinking?" I prodded. "Well I started my own chain reaction. I realized my life without you would pretty much suck," He said and smiled, "Which is true, by the way. But that wasn't the epiphany. I don't know why, but the drunker I got the clearer I saw my life or something." He snorted, "Go figure!"

"Last night you said…" I started but Morelli placed his thumb on my mouth. "I know exactly what I said. I told you what I was thinking in a nutshell. I may have been sitting there for hours thinking, I don't know. But what I do know is that you were right all along."

I propped myself up on my elbow so I could meet his eyes. "Right with what?" I asked. Morelli smiled again. "Well," He looked like he was searching for the right words, "All this time, I was trying to do and become what my mother and the Burg would want me to be," He said. I raised my eyebrows. "All this time?"

He scoffed. "Yeah, well, in high school I was actually on my way to becoming like my father, like all the Morelli men. And that would have been acceptable, you know? Like no one expected anything else from me." I nodded, he was right. Morelli men had a reputation for being drunks, gamblers and cheaters. No one would have been surprised if Joe had followed that path.

"I didn't know at the time," He continued, "But when I joined the Navy, that was my first attempt at breaking the mold."

"And you did," I said, "You're not like the other Morellis!" And then I spontaneously kissed him. "I take that as a compliment," He said and ran his fingers through my hair again. "It is!" I confirmed.

"But then after the four years away, I came back. I came back home as if there was no other place to live, you know?" I nodded. I had never thought about it that way. No one was surprised when Morelli came back after the service, least of all Morelli himself.

"But last night I realized I've been living my version of the proper Burg life," He said and sighed, "I didn't want to cheat and gamble, but I thought I wanted the proper housewife and the picked-fenced house."

"And the army of little Morellis?" I teased. He laughed, "Yeah, that, too. So anyway, I don't know how to say this, but last night, I realized I'd been living my life the way my family expected me to, not the way I wanted to. And you were the only one who didn't accept that."

He pushed his arm under my back and hugged me to him. "Because you weren't the proper Burg housewife, I finally had to admit I wasn't the proper Burg husband either." He let out a long breath of air and laughed again.

I was speechless. This was by far the most intimate conversation we'd ever had. And I was happy we did. I had no idea that the new Morelli had been there all along, kept hidden by the old Morelli. And I almost missed it altogether.

But then a thought hit me and I frowned. "So you're saying if it wasn't for me you would have never changed?"

Morelli grinned. "No. Yes. Well, in a way." He kissed my forehead before he continued. "I think this would have happened sooner or later. Deep down, I knew I was living a lie. And maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way. Do you think the other Morelli men drink, gamble and cheat because they're so happy with their lives?" He had a point there. I've never heard anyone describe a male member of Morelli's family as 'happy' or 'satisfied' or anything like that. Come to think of it, no one had ever described a member of _my_ family like that either. "So you think we two are rebels?" I said and smiled at him.

"Yeah…" He said slowly, "Rebels. I like that. And I'm one lucky guy to realize this before I lost you forever!" He pulled me on top of him and lifted his head to meet my lips. And his kiss convinced me that he felt very lucky indeed.

"So you don't want me to quit my job and start working part-time at the Tasty Pastry?" I asked, just to make sure. Joe smiled and winked at me. "Especially not the Tasty Pastry," He said, "They get the horniest customers after closing!"

A/N: OK, I think they're done talking…back to the action right? Or do you want more soul-searching? Let me know…


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you so much for your kind reviews, you made this happen. I appreciate all your suggestions, tell me what you like to see happen.

This fic is based on and inspired by la bambina

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Rating: Definitely PG13 for this chapter…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

9

"_It doesn't matter where you are, doesn't matter where you go  
If it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road  
Take it in, take it with you when you go. Who says you can't go home?"_

_Bon Jovi 'Who says you can't go Home'_

"So you don't want me to quit my job and start working part-time at the Tasty Pastry?" I asked, just to make sure. Joe smiled and winked at me. "_Especially_ not the Tasty Pastry," He said, "They get the horniest customers after closing!" I laughed and slapped his shoulder. "Our families are not gonna like us as rebels…" I said and Morelli sighed. "Yeah, I know," He said slowly. "To hell with them! I love you and I want to be with you!" He laughed as he said this and I joined in.

We both knew our mothers wouldn't give up just like that. But it was a start, I decided, and kissed him again. He tried to let the kiss get more serious and I pulled away reluctantly.

"I have to get back to work. The real reason I woke you is because I need your help," I said and smiled. Joe kissed my nose and grinned. "Women!" He said in mock frustration, "Always ulterior motives!" He tickled my side and I jumped away from him and got up, giggling.

"I like the new Joe," I said, more serious but still smiling. Morelli got up as well and gathered me in his arms. "I do too," he said, "We haven't fought all day." That was because he hadn't criticized my job or my life or my friends all day, I thought, but decided to keep it to myself.

"I tried calling Ranger, but he is out of town, offline," I looked at Morelli to see if there was a reaction to Ranger's name, but he was just listening. "I need some background information on Martinez. I'll call Connie to run a background check, but that can take up to two days," I said and drew flirty circles on Joe's chest with my finger. "I was wondering if you could ask some of your colleagues for information…"

Morelli grinned. "You need my help?" He asked smugly. "Well, I could always ask Ranger…" I teased. Morelli huffed. "I can help you just as well," He said, "I just wish you'd ask for my help before you ask him." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"You jealous?" I asked, looking at him through lowered lashes. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at his feet, then he sighed. "Yeah, I am. I've seen the way he looks at you. It's the same way _I_ look at you. And I know what _I'm_ thinking when I look at you. And look at him, he's dark and handsome and dangerous." I raised my eyebrows, smiling. "So are you jealous of me or of him?" Morelli snorted. "It's childish, isn't it?"

I nodded. "You trust me, don't you?" He was still not looking at me. "I'm not trusting him though," He said. I stepped closer and put my hands on his shoulders. "Ranger is my friend," I said, "I trust him and I like to work with him and he's helped me countless times." Morelli nodded and put his arms around my waist. "He's a part of my life, and I'm happy about that," I continued, "But at the end of the day, I come home to you, don't I? If I wanted to be with him, don't you think I would be?" Morelli looked up, obviously thinking. "You're right," He finally said, "But I can't guarantee I'm gonna like it."

"Fair enough," I decided, "As long as you're not jealous," I said and winked. Morelli smiled.

"So," he said, running his fingers over my jawbone, "Let's get started on Martinez. Guess you need more than his ERA?"

I smiled back at him, "If that means I need more than his basic information, then yeah." Morelli laughed out loud and hooked his arm around my neck, tugging me along. "After our gym session and gun lessons, we're gonna watch a ballgame together!"

I grimaced at the mention of the gym and let him lead me over to his 'den'. It was his home office and his mantown rolled into one. There was a bed for Bob, Morelli's baseball mitt, and various sports paraphernalia, and there was his desktop computer and the phone.

Morelli sat down in the desk chair and pulled me into his lap. He picked up the phone and dialed. "Veronica!" He said smiling when somebody had obviously picked up, "How are you, Beautiful?" I raised my eyebrows but didn't say anything.

Joe laughed at something Veronica said. "No, you got it right, it's my day off. So, not today. But I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" He asked and smiled as he listened to her response. I shifted a little so that he wouldn't forget I was still there. He winked at me. "Just add it to my tab, as usual," He said, "I need a quick background check." I could tell by the look on his face that Veronica was flirting with him. It irked me. I knew of course that Morelli worked with other women, but I'd never heard him flirt before, unless it was directed at me.

Okay, yeah, so I was jealous, too.

Morelli laughed at something Veronica said and picked Martinez' file off the desk. "Well, if you get it done in warp speed, I may even throw in a dinner!" He said and I shot him a curious look. He just smiled at me. "Name's Pedro Martinez," He said, "And not _that_ Pedro Martinez. This one lives at 708 River Road and was born June 15, 1960. Do you think you can help me with the whole shebang?" He was listening to her reply and nodded, "You're the best, Veronica. I'll owe you!" He smiled, said his goodbyes and hung up.

He grinned up at me. "She'll call back within the hour," He said and snaked his arms around me, "We have some time to kill…" I slid off his lap, trying hard to remain calm. "Who's this Veronica?" I asked, unable to keep my curiosity out of my voice. Morelli's upper lip quirked up on one side in the sexiest smile imaginable. I didn't get to see it very often, but it always made me drool.

"You jealous?" He asked, repeating my earlier question. I rolled my eyes. "This is different," I explained, "You _know_ Ranger. I've never heard of a Veronica before…" I knew I'd said too much when I saw the smile spread over Morelli's face. He leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. "And you're jealous," Morelli finished my sentence.

I threw up my hands and grunted, stomping out of the room. Morelli's laughter followed me. I went downstairs to get something to eat, I needed sugar!

As soon as I entered the kitchen, Bob was on his feet. As far as food was concerned, Bob was a lot like me, he never missed an opportunity to eat.

I threw together a ham and cheese sandwich for me, one for Morelli and one for Bob, since I couldn't find a donut. Then I got myself a beer to wash it down with, gave Bob his sandwich and put ours on plates.

"You hungry?" I yelled up the stairs. "Always," Morelli yelled back, "Oh, you mean for food?" And he laughed again. I rolled my eyes at Bob, "Men!" Bob looked at me like he was wondering what I was talking about and returned his attention to the sandwich.

Morelli and I shared a couple beers over our late lunch and I was feeling rather friendly. One of the great things about Morelli was that he always felt friendly, I usually only had to look at him the right way to get him in the mood. I put down my beer and snuggled up to him.

Morelli raised his eyebrows, "Are you off the sugar again?" He asked. "Not that I'm complaining…" he leaned back and pulled me towards him.

"I'm not off the sugar," I said, planting butterfly kisses down his neck, "But Veronica made me want to remind you of what you have at home…" He laughed and pulled us both up, then he bent down and picked me up, carrying me towards the staircase. "Remind me to call Veronica every night," He said and I punched him in the shoulder.

He lowered me onto the bed and slowly took my shirt off, tracing every exposed inch of skin with his mouth. My heart sped up and I felt warm in all the right places. He pulled the shirt over my head and cupped my face in his hands, kissing me. At first the kiss was light and playful, but then it became demanding and passionate.

I fisted his shirt in my hands and pulled at it impatiently. Morelli lifted his head and smiled down at me. "You want me bad," He said. I pushed my hand between us and ran it over his groin. "So do you," I said and returned his smile. "Touché," He smirked and ran his tongue over the shell of my ear, making me moan.

I was still trying to get him naked when the phone rang.

A/N: Should Morelli come up with the necessary information for Steph or should she wait for Ranger? Let me know what you think!!


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you so much for your reviews, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story.

This fic is based on and inspired by the future grandmother!

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Rating: K, T, whatever. No smut. Bad language…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

10

"Who says you can't go back, been around all around the world and  
as a matter of fact  
There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home  
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright..."

_Bon Jovi 'Who says you can't go home'_

I was still trying to get Morelli naked when the phone rang. Morelli grabbed my hand to stop my progress. "Guess that's Veronica," He said and smiled. How ironic. I'd been trying to get Joe's mind off of her, and here she calls.

I would have loved to just say 'Let it ring', but if she had information on Martinez, I needed to know it. Damn!

Morelli pushed himself off the bed and left, while I took a moment to get my breathing back to normal.

I could hear him talk on the phone and followed him into the office. He was scribbling things down on a notepad and he was smiling. Why was he smiling?

I positioned myself in the doorway and leaned against the doorjamb, my arms crossed over my chest. "Now, you know I would never say that!" Morelli said, chuckling. Clearly, the business part of the conversation was over. I cleared my throat and Morelli looked up.

"Listen, I gotta go, but thank you very much for this, I owe you!" He said and he laughed out loud at the response. "We'll see about that," He said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow!" And he hung up.

"That was Veronica," He said. No shit. I would have never guessed. "She got some info off the grapevine, Martinez preferred hangouts." He tore the first sheet of the notepad and handed it to me.

"Anything else she had to share?" I asked with my eyebrow raised. Morelli just grinned and walked past me, chucking me under the chin. The nerve!

I glanced at the note and didn't recognize any of the bars. Probably Stark Street dives. Probably I'd have to check them all.

I was torn because I really wanted to know more about who this Veronica was, but at the same time, I didn't want to feed Morelli's ego any more than I already had. It was one thing to be jealous and admit it to myself, I couldn't tell _him_!

Morelli had gone downstairs and I followed him slowly. Apparently, he didn't want to pick up where we'd left off. I'd only brought in one skip today and I really needed to bring in Carol or Martinez, but I wasn't really motivated.

Morelli was stretched out on the couch, Bob was stretched out in front of the couch, and they were watching ESPN. It would have been really easy to just join them, but I wasn't sure my landlord would understand that my rent was late because I'd rather watched TV than earn money. I sighed and grabbed my purse.

"I'm gonna go get the check for bringing in Folini," I said, "And to check in with the girls. Do you mind if I take your car?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, since my car was still at my apartment. "Do you want me to come with?" Morelli asked. I thought about that for a minute, subjecting him to a dose of Lula and Connie could be fun, but then I shook my head no.

"I may need your help later to try and find Martinez though, if you're up for it." I said and Morelli nodded. "He got me covered in garbage," He said, "Now it's personal." I laughed and kissed him lightly, pulling away before he could grab me.

I found a parking spot right in front of the office. Lula was stretched out on the couch when I entered, and it felt like a weird form of déjà vu. All that was missing was the TV and Bob. I waved hello on my way over to Connie's desk. Connie looked up and a huge smile spread over her face.

"Guess Ranger came back early, huh?"

Lula got up with a groan and checked me out. "There's only one thing that puts a smile like that on your face, white girl. You had cake, and plenty of it."

I felt the heat creep into my cheeks. I was a grown woman with a boyfriend, and I blushed when my girlfriends gave me the third degree. Jeesh!

"It's Morelli's day off," I said simply and handed Connie the body receipt. When there was no response I finally looked up and found two sets of eyes on me. I rolled my eyes and they started laughing. Now I was glad Morelli hadn't come, his ego would have been the size of a house after this.

"So Officer Hottie is back on again?" Lula asked. I sighed and plopped down on the couch. There was no way around it, I figured, Lula and Connie would keep pushing until I told then everything anyway.

"He got drunk and came to my house last night," I started and lifted a hand when I saw Lula open her mouth, "No, not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter. He'd had an epiphany…"

"So he's changed over night?" Connie asked when I'd finished my story. I could tell she didn't believe it for a second. "I don't think change happens that fast," I explained, "But he's decided the _wants_ to change."

Lula had the same doubtful expression as Connie. "Look, I know how it sounds, I didn't believe it either at first," I said and got up to pace. "I figured it was worth a try."

"What about Batman?" Lula asked. "What about him?"

"I've seen the way you two look at each other. You tryin' to tell me there's nothin' goin' on?"

"Morelli is okay with Ranger…being my friend…" I said, sitting back down. Connie snorted and Lula scoffed. "What?" I asked, getting irritated.

Connie shook her head and did a palms-up, "I'll decide when I see the three of you together is all I'm sayin'. I know all about guys promising to change to get back into your pants."

"Amen, sister," Lula said, nodding. I laughed inwardly. Morelli might have thought I was the biggest hurdle, but he might have forgotten about Lula and Connie. I shrugged. "Time will tell, I guess. I just told you what he said. And he spent all day today convincing me."

"Yeah, we can see that last part," Lula quipped. I rolled my eyes, got my check from Connie and moved to leave. "Seriously, Steph," Connie said just before I reached the door, "You should know better than most of us, you can't trust anything a Morelli man tells you." I turned around, now I was regretting I had told them. "Men _can_ change," I said.

"Yeah," Lula scoffed, "They can change into not calling you any more." I just rolled my eyes at her again and left the office. I should have just said I got laid and leave them guessing, I thought.

I was in such a foul mood that I blindly drove through Trenton, got a dozen doughnuts at the Dunkin' drive-thru and ate eight of them until I felt better. The problem was not what the girls had said. The problem was that I feared they were right.

Since the evening was ruined now, I decided to give Lucy Klein another try. If her husband tried to shoot me again, I might just shoot back this time!

It was almost six o'clock so chances were good Lucy was home by now anyway, I decided and turned off Hamilton towards Lucy's neighborhood.

Twenty minutes later, I was parked in front of 405 Ames Street, watching the house. Lights were on inside and there were two cars in the driveway. I checked her bond agreement again. She had been set free after posting a $5000 bond. Getting her back into the system would net me $500. Damn, I really needed that money!

I got my stun gun out of my purse and stuffed it into the front pocket of my jeans, then I took Morelli's cuffs and put them into my back pocket. I also grabbed my cell phone, just to be on the safe side. Since there was nothing else to procrastinate with, I sighed and got out of the car. I didn't lock it, because there was a chance I'd have to get to it in a hurry.

I tried to look all confident when I climbed the three steps to Lucy's house, but I hoped she would open the door this time, and not her husband.

A kid opened the front door a minute after I rang the bell and he looked at me with big eyes through the screen door. He was maybe ten years old, with a runny nose and dirty clothes. I figured he was part of the reason his mom had gotten into a fight at the soccer match. "Hi," I said friendly, putting on a smile that I reserved for children, "Is your Mom home?"

He turned around and yelled "Mooooom!" so loud that I had to cover my ears. Maybe I'd change my mind about ever having children.

"What's all the yellin' about," Mr. Klein yelled even louder than his son and my stomach clenched up. I was about to tell Klein Jr. I was coming back another time, when the boy was shoved aside. The screen door was kicked open and I found myself nose-to-nose with Lucy's husband.

"You!" He screamed and a wave of his 100 proof breath hit me. "Don't you ever stop?" He looked like he had a good 100 pounds on me, and although I was sober, I didn't' think I'd stand a chance in a fight. I backed up slowly, but he caught me by the front of my shirt.

"I'll teach you to leave us alone!" He screamed, then he raised the shotgun he'd been hiding behind his back and I closed my eyes. Two shots rang out, glass shattered, and I fell down the steps when he suddenly released my shirt. I fell on my ass before I dared to open my eyes again. Klein shut his doors with a slam and I was still wondering about his change of heart when there was an explosion behind me.

I was far enough away to not be blown up, but I knew without looking that Morelli's car had just gone to car heaven.

A/N: Now she needs to tell Morelli…how do you think he will react? Please R&R and let me know.


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you so very much for your reviews, they are what's keeping this ficlet alive, you guys rock!

The story is based on and inspired by my friend who agrees lobster tail and beer are the three things a Texas cowboy needs in life…

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Rating: K, T, whatever. No smut. Bad language…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

11

"_Who says you can't go back?  
Been all around the world and as a matter of fact,  
There's only one place left I wanna go.  
Who says you can't go home?"_

_Bon Jovi 'Who says you can't go Home?'_

I was far enough away to not be blown up, but I knew without looking that Morelli's car had just gone to car heaven.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. This just couldn't be happening to me. I finally turned around to face the disaster. Now I knew the glass I had heard shattering had been the windshield, and the second shot must have hit the gas tank or whatever, Morelli's truck was burning like a bonfire. Shit! He'd had it less than six months, and he was as fond of it as any guy with a new toy. Oh, this was bad.

There was just no right way to say 'Hi Honey, I just got your car blown up, but it wasn't my fault'. I could already hear the sirens in the distance. The fire trucks would be followed by the cruisers and someone would identify Morelli's car. I'd have to call him before they did.

Then I thought, what if I didn't tell him? What if he got the call and he didn't hear from me, would he worry about me? Of course he would. I'd give him an hour to try and find out where I was and then I'd show up, all 'aren't you glad I wasn't hurt?'.

As much appeal as that held, I couldn't to it. I knew he'd be mad about his car, but I couldn't play with his feelings like that. I sighed and pulled out my cell phone as the first fire truck rounded the corner.

When they turned off their siren, I dialed.

"I'll take a meatball sub," Morelli said by way of answering the phone. I chewed my lip. How should I tell him? "I'm not at Pino's," I said to buy some time.

"I thought you were picking up dinner for us. Where are you?"

"Um…are you sitting down?" Oh, great opening, Stephanie. He'd never expect bad news now. I rolled my eyes at myself.

"Yeah…" Joe said warily. I took a deep breath. A blue and white turned the corner with its siren on. "Steph, are you okay?" Joe asked. Shit. "I'm fine but…"

Maybe it was my history. Maybe Morelli knew me too well. In any case, it was all I had to say.

"Something happen to my car?" He got it in one.

"It wasn't my fault," I said truthfully. Morelli groaned, "How bad is it?"

I was thinking of the right thing to say. Apparently, I took too long. "Cupcake?"

"I'm okay, I wasn't in the car," I said to stall. I knew that's not what he had asked.

Oh hell, he would find out anyway! "I went back to Lucy Klein's house to try and persuade her to come in with me…" I sighed. Morelli didn't make it any easier by not saying anything. "I didn't get to talk to Lucy," I continued, "But Mr. Klein was in a pretty bad mood…"

"I'll be right there!" Joe cut me off and disconnected.

Big Dog and Eddie Gazarra got out of the blue-and-white, took in the burning car, saw me and did a high-five. I rolled my eyes and sat down on a tree stump just behind the fence.

"Steph, we were just saying how unusual it was to have a car explode and you not involved in it. Thanks for rightening the world!" Gazarra grinned when they came over to me. "That's not Morelli's car, is it?" Big Dog asked. I just nodded numbly and they both whistled, hooked their thumbs in their belt loops and rocked back on their feet. "Does he know?"

"He's on his way over," I said. Gazarra shook his hand in an 'oh boy' gesture.

"Aren't you gonna ask me what happened?" I asked impatiently. They looked at each other, still grinning and said "It wasn't your fault," together. I rolled my eyes, "No, it wasn't my fault. A guy shot at me and luckily missed!" I gestured towards the Klein's house and Eddie and Big Dog looked over. A curtain was still moving when I turned around. "Are you gonna do something?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Steph," Eddie said, "If that's Morelli's car," He gestured at the wreck that was only smoldering now, but dripping water on the curb, "Then how's he gonna get here?"

I hadn't thought about that, but I didn't care at the moment. "Did you hear the part about the guy shooting at me?" They nodded. Eddie adjusted his belt and nudged Big Dog, "Let's go check on it, I don't want to be here when Morelli arrives."

Big Dog looked like he hadn't thought of that and followed Eddie eagerly. It seemed everybody knew Morelli's temper.

Minutes later, a Pontiac Bonneville came to a screeching stop right behind the fire truck and I said a short prayer. I recognized Mooch Morelli as the driver, but he stayed in the car as Joe jumped out before the car had come to complete stop and slammed the door behind him. I took a deep breath to brace myself for the inevitable.

Morelli ran over to the remnants of his burning car gesturing wildly and yelling something I couldn't make out over the running engines and men talking and general emergency scene madness. I didn't need to hear it to get the gist of it, he was furious.

I decided to wait a bit before I made myself known. Maybe he'd wear himself out jumping around his dead car. Yeah right, and maybe hell will freeze over some day soon.

I counted to ten, took a deep breath and slowly got up. He would turn around sooner or later, I figured. No way was I going to approach him.

He was standing with his back to me, running a hand through his hair. The other hand was fisted at his hip. I felt really bad, but on the other hand, it _really _hadn't been my fault. If we had come back together Morelli would have exploded with the car. Didn't seem like a good thing to point out either.

He must have felt my stare, because he slowly turned around to face me and jogged over to me.

"Are you okay?" He asked, studying his shoes. "I'm fine," I replied, "Are you mad?"

He took a long breath and exhaled it slowly. "No. I'm glad you're okay." He said, but it sounded pressed.

"Okay," I said smiling, "Now look me in the eye and say that again."

Morelli shook his head, "I'm trying here, cut me some slack. I'll look up as soon as the urge to hit something gets bearable."

I chuckled. Although I had a feeling the discussion was far from over, I had to give Morelli credit again for his self-restraint.

"But you're mad," I said. Morelli nodded slowly. "Hey, if you want to hit something, why don't you go hit Klein, he was the one who shot your car!" I suggested.

Morelli looked up and focused on the house. Gazarra and Big Dog were still standing at the front door, talking to someone we couldn't see.

Morelli balled his hands into fists, "I may not be allowed to hit him, but I'm arresting him and his stupid wife!" He said and stalked off.

I'd seen Ranger in combat mode and it had always kind of scared me, but he had nothing on Morelli. His eyes looked like they could set whole cities on fire with a simple look. If I ran into him in a quiet alley, I'd wet my pants.

A smile crept over my face. This I wanted to see. Morelli would arrest Klein and his wife, and I'd still get my body receipt and my money.

Okay, I'd have to go home with Morelli and listen to what he had to say about his car, but first, Klein would get what he deserved.

Yep, overall, today had been a good day!

I grimaced at the thought of tomorrow. Morelli had threatened we'd go to the gym first thing in the morning and to the gun range after his shift. With any luck, he'd decide that I was too dangerous to be around and would not make good on his threads, I thought. Hey, a girl can hope, right?

A/N: Well, there you have it, a day in the new life of Joe and Steph. I hope you enjoyed my take on it, thank you so much for your reviews! If you like this installment, I'd appreciate your feedback. If you didn't like it, I'd like to find out what it was you think I could do better.


	12. Epilogue

Thank you all so much for your reviews. This started out being a one-shot and now has 12 chapters. That's the longest one-shot I've ever seen…LOL

So anyway, thank you for staying with me, this is the last part to wrap it all up. But then again, there might be a sequel at some point if there's a demand for it…(hint, hint, nudge, nudge)

The story is based on and inspired by my friend who agrees lobster tail and beer are the three things a Texas cowboy needs in life…

Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just having fun with JE's characters

Rating: K, T, whatever. No smut. Bad language…

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

Epilogue

With any luck, he'd decide that I was too dangerous to be around and would not make good on his threads, I thought. Hey, a girl can hope, right?

_Six weeks later…_

Since Morelli's cars hadn't been blowing up for years, his insurance didn't hesitate to send him a check for his destroyed car. I even went to pick out the new car with him, although he made me promise I wouldn't drive it. I could understand that.

I'd waited for two days after his car exploded for him to blow up as well, but he never did.

I quickly learned that Morelli's promise hadn't just been lip service. The day after his car blew up, he woke me at 5:30 to go running. I hate running, and he doesn't usually run either, but he said it was all part of the new 'us', so I went along. His plan was for us to go running every morning, but we compromised, and now we're running three times a week. If it's not raining, because that's where I draw the line. And if we're up till dawn having sex, it counts as exercise, so I don't have to go then either. Needless to say, Morelli never complaints when that happens. Whenever he can, he also drags me to they gym where I finally picked up self-defense lessons. I have to admit apprehending skips has already gotten easier. I'd only come home covered in garbage once in the past six weeks.

Our first day at the gun range was pretty embarrassing for me. It had been years since I'd been going on a fairly regular basis, and I hadn't gotten any better without practice. But Morelli was very patient with me, showing me the best ways to pull the gun and aim it in a hurry, reload it without dropping the bullets and such. And after a couple weeks, I usually shot the hearts out of the little paper guys.

The first time Morelli had pulled in one of the paper targets with a hole where the heart should have been, he grinned, "Yep, that's my girl. Takes your heart away if you're not careful." And then he'd kissed me.

We go to the gun range three times a week and I don't even whine about it anymore. For some reason, three times a week works for me. If I have to work out in the morning, I might as well end the day by shooting paper guys. And not that I would tell him, but Morelli with a gun, concentrating on the target, is one of the hottest sights I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I'm really happy we go shooting in the evening, so that I can take him home to bed afterwards

Actually, after a week of the 'New Morelli', I stopped pinching myself when he did something completely unlike the old Morelli. I had slowly learned that the new Morelli was the one that was going to stay and I was happy about it. As it turned out, Morelli had been missing the same things in our relationship as I had, and we actually talked about it now. I had to learn how to share my feelings, and he had to learn to listen to them.

The best part is, Morelli changed for the better, but everything I loved about him stayed the same. Sex with him is still magic, we have great times outside the bedroom, and he endures my family.

Yeah, I'm happy. And now that I am, I can admit I wasn't happy before.

I'd loved Morelli for a long time without being able to tell him. And now I know I couldn't tell him because I wasn't sure we were in it for the long haul. I didn't want to wake up one day realizing I'd trusted the wrong man again. My marriage had really burned me on that one.

Now I have no trouble telling him whenever I feel like it. And I will never get tired of hearing him say it to me.

One day, Morelli was waiting for me outside the bonds office. He was leaning against his shiny new SUV and I was wishing I had a camera, he looked absolutely GQ.

"Hey handsome," I said and was greeted with a sexy smile. "Get in the car," Morelli said. It wasn't an order, but I was still unable to refuse. I slipped into the passenger seat and Morelli sat down next to me, winking.

"Okay, where are we going?" I asked, although I was pretty sure he wouldn't tell me. "Well, Cupcake, that's for me to know and you to wonder," he said cryptically and I rolled my eyes. Inwardly though, I was smiling. I loved that kind of surprise. It was Thursday afternoon, but since Morelli's shifts changed all the time, that didn't mean anything. I didn't know he had three days off.

That trip had ended up in Atlantic City, where we spent an incredible weekend gambling, shopping (well, I shopped, Morelli carried the bags), partying and relaxing. We went to two concerts and my voice was hoarse for days because I had to scream along to all the songs I knew.

That had been three weeks ago and the thought of it still made me smile every day.

We'd both been incommunicado during those three days, and I had some explaining to do when I got back to the office Monday morning. By then, I was thankfully less sore and was able to walk again. A full weekend with the Italian Stallion still wore me out, even though I was working out regularly now.

Lula and Connie had coaxed most of the details out of me and by the time I was finished, they were fanning themselves almost like they did when Ranger was around.

"I gotta give it to you, girl, I think Officer Hottie really deserves the nickname!" Lula said, grinning wide.

"Dayum," Connie agreed, "I honestly didn't think he had it in him. Not the hotness, that part is pretty obvious, but the power to put a smile on your face every day these days."

"Yeah," I said, "I always hoped he had it in him, now I know for sure." I rolled my eyes at my own corniness. But every now and then I caught myself thinking and talking like a cheesy romance novel, and I couldn't help it.

I was in love, pure and simple. And every day, Morelli showed me he was in love.

We haven't had a fight in six weeks. Well, okay, sometimes we disagree over what channel to watch. I don't consider boxing entertainment, he thinks American Idol is a sleeping pill. But not once did he ask me to find another job or something serious like that. And he never says I'm in over my head anymore.

I'd met Ranger that first week. I'd been wondering how to tell him that all the little things had to stop. I figured if Morelli could change, so could I. From here on out, Ranger and I were going to be friends _without _kissing.

But as it turned out, I'd been worrying unnecessarily. I was sitting on the couch in the bonds office when he came in to drop off a body receipt. He looked at me for a split-second, bent down and whispered "Outside," into my ear before he left.

I cleared my throat and followed him, determined to explain everything and withstand his charms. Or hotness. Whatever you want to call it, I was going to be strong.

Ranger nudged me into the alley next to the office and looked at me. He tucked a stray curl behind my ear and smiled. "I'm glad you worked it out, Babe," he said and left. I think I stood in that alley alone for a half hour, trying to figure out what'd just happened.

My personal life is better than it has been for years. I have one man that I am in love with and friends I love and can count on. And okay, a crazy family, but I love them just the same.

And my professional life followed suit. Morelli helps me out whenever he can, and sometimes I need his _and_ Ranger's help. I always suspected Ranger had ESP, now I was sure. We hadn't talked about it, I hadn't told him about Joe's epiphany, and yet, the two of them got along great, Ranger never tried to steal a kiss or grope me whether Morelli was around or not.

Yeah, okay, so part of me is still afraid I'm gonna wake up and it was all a dream because it's all just too perfect.

But every morning when I wake up and see Morelli's face, I hope that, in case it is a dream, I never wake up.

Just yesterday, I signed us up for dance classes. I figured it would be my little 'revenge' for the gym and the gun range. Since I'm doing those for him, he's going dancing with me. So, okay, I'm going to the gym and practice shooting for myself, but still. But the real reason I signed us up is that I can't wait for Morelli to lead me over the dance floor. I figure that since I'm already thinking cheesy thoughts, I might as well add cheesy actions. I've always loved the old dance movies, but I'd forgotten most of the moves I've ever learned. So I decided Morelli and I were gonna do our own version of 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'.

Okay, that was the very long version of saying I'm happy as a pig in shit and I owe it to a drunken phone call in the middle of the night. Maybe it's not correct that you should _never_ drink and dial…

And then I heard this song on the radio today and had to pull over because I got all choked up. I'm glad I never told him to leave me alone that night.

I ain't gonna lie

I've been drinking here all night

With an old friend of mine

Her name is misery.

I ain't been crying

No I'm having a real good time with Miss Communication

She always talks to me.

I've got a lot of friends like them

They always meet me here to have a beer so I won't be alone

I never meant to bring them home.

I just called to tell you

That I was wrong and you were on my mind.

If you want I'll leave you alone right now

'Cause I know why you're saying, why you're saying

Don't come home.

I bet you're with him

Yeah, I heard you found somebody new

He probably listens to you

Like I never did.

Wish I was in your arms

Instead of talking to this machine about all the things I didn't do

Oh, what else is new?

I've spent a lot of time like that

Fading memories and drinking remedies so I won't be alone

Still can't believe you're gone.

I just called to tell you

That I was wrong and you were on my mind.

If you want I'll leave you alone right now

'Cause I know why you're saying, why you're saying

Don't come home.

Don't come home, no no, no.

Don't come home.

I spent the last day anywhere you could be found,

and I'd give anything if you'd turn back around

Anyways...

I just called to tell you

That I was wrong...can I come home?

The END

A/N: I hope you liked. Reviews are ALWAYS welcome, actually, they make my day.


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